Just as the seasons change throughout the year, so do the needs of your grounds. With temperature fluctuations, drastic weather changes and even humidity shifts, mother nature can do a fair bit of damage if left unattended. This means you need to adjust your landscape maintenance plans along with the change of the season – and right now that means getting prepared and ready for winter. To help you get started, here are a few things you can do to keep your commercial grounds looking fantastic in the colder months.
Care For Your Hard Landscaping
You likely have 2 types of landscaping – hard and soft. Soft landscaping includes things like grass, trees, hedges and plants, while hard landscaping is all about the ‘hard’ areas like patios, driveways and paving. It might not seem like there’s a lot to do in these areas, but that’s far from true. Firstly, that sea of copper leaves might look lovely, but it presents a real slip hazard for your employees and visitors, and it can damage your grass as well. Next are your patios and walkways, which can gather a lot of mould and algae (especially if they’ve been under leaves). This can make them slippery even when they’re clear of debris. A good power wash can clean all of that off and keep your walkways safe. You can also use this as an opportunity to look for any uneven paving that could be a trip hazard so that you can have them repaired.
Do A Safety Check
As a business owner the safety of people visiting or working on your premises is your responsibility, and this includes your grounds. So it’s best to do a quick walk around and safety check around your grounds. Fences are one of the first things to get damaged in adverse weather conditions, so make sure any you have is still standing, in good repair and doesn’t have any damage that could hurt people or damage vehicles. The same goes for any external floodlights and security lights – check bulbs and wiring to make sure it’s all safe and working correctly. This is especially important in car parks, as the days get shorter and daylight fades faster, light is key to keeping visitors and employees safe.
Look After Your Lawn
If your business has any form of grass, then it too requires some attention before the cold sets in. After all, the cold can cause a lot of damage to your grass if you’re not careful, and the last thing you need is bald patches in the spring! A few things you (or we) can do to keep your lawn areas healthy when the temperature drops include:
- Regulate watering your lawn, especially if you live in a very cold area.
- Mow and aerate your lawn to let it breathe, particularly before the snow arrives.
- Treat it with fertiliser to give it enough nutrients to survive the winter.
- Clear off any debris and leaves to stop standing water, pests and disease from accumulating. Leaving a layer of leaves on your lawn for a long period can actually suffocate and kill your grass!
Prepare For The Cold
We know winter can be a little unpredictable weather wise in the UK, but it never hurts to be prepared for whatever mother nature can throw at you. In particular, this means having a few sand bags on hand in case of flooding (drains filled with leaves are the worst offenders for this), as well as some salt or grit for when the temperature drops and the ground is covered in ice. The last thing you want is an accident in your car park! So make sure you have some supplies on hand, as well as a plan to hire a gritter at short notice if you need to. The coldest weather hits the UK between October and April, so make sure you’re prepared now!
At Pod Landscaping, we offer a wide range of services to help keep your business premises looking good and operating safely during the winter months. From regular leaf clearance to power washing, lawn care and hedge maintenance, our experts are on hand to help. And since prevention is better than cure, we recommend starting your winter prep early, before the cold really has a chance to set in. If you would like to know more, just get in touch with the team today.
